How to make a pan pizza

Recently I have had a habit of making pan pizza coming home from work on a Friday. Exhausted from five days of work its delicious and easy to vary the topping. This is how I do it.

I make a dough of 500 g wheat flour, 10 g yeast, 3 dl of cold water, 0,5 tbs salt and 1 tbs olive oil. I solve the yeast in some of the water. Then I use a machine to mix it as i add the rest of the water. Usually I start out with 2,5 dl and add up to another 1 dl depending on how old the flour is. But usually its about 3 dl.

Fresh yeast.

The dough should almost stick to the bowl. Make sure the gluten is developed to get it really elastic for the flattening part. It is achieved by kneading it thoroughly. Make a ball of it and let the dough rest and rising for 60 min in room temperature, but don’t forget to cover the bowl with a piece of cloth so it won’t dry up. When its ready i divide the dough in two. I use one part and save the other by putting it in a plastic bag and into the freezer. I do this because its just enough for my pan.

Dough

When the the dough is ready heat up the oven. I just go for the max here.

Crank the oven up to the max

Bring out the pan and cover the bottom in olive oil so the pizza wont get stuck to the bottom. Also it tastes great. The pan is an IKEA Koncis medium size.

pour some olive oil in the bottom of the pan

One way of spreading the olive oil

Then bring the dough and flatten it out with your hand. I use my knuckles. this way we preserve the small air bubbles in the dough.

Using the knuckles

I am cool with this result

I let 400 g of canned crushed tomatoes loose some of its water by pouring it in a strainer before adding it into the pan spreading it evenly over the pizza.

Dehydrated canned crushed tomatoes

Bring em on

Bring forward your favorite toppings. I use smoked ham, garlic, more tomatoes of any kind really and cheese like mozzarella. Other things could be pepper, olives, artichokes, pineapple – no limits.

Ingredients

Before adding the cheese on top i add some basil underneath but usually i forget this step. The last thing to add ,after the cheese (no mozzarella this time), is to add some olive oil on top. Now its time to pop it into the oven.